When flying a STAR you've been assigned by ATC that includes a holding at a specific waypoint are you always obligated to hold at that waypoint unless ATC instructs you otherwise?

In the UK the hold at the end of a STAR is part of the STAR. for example Bovingdon (BNN) STAR ends at BNN VOR

 

BNN 1C Arrival via M605 (FL70) to DTY VOR continue on DTY VOR R166  to WCO NDB then turn left onto BNN VOR R298 to BNN VOR

 

great question Richard

An instrument approach shall not be commenced without an explicit clearance from ATC.

If a clearance for an instrument approach has not been received, the aircraft shall enter the holding pattern at the STAR end point.

When flying a STAR you've been assigned by ATC that includes a holding at a specific waypoint are you always obligated to hold at that waypoint unless ATC instructs you otherwise?

 

That's a good question, and I can only speak to the State-side here:

 

If you're looking at the STAR chart, you'll note that they often have holds depicted, but 99% of the time, they aren't implicit as part of the STAR. The caveat to this is if there is some specific instruction to hold.

 

The holds published on the charts are mainly there to cut down on frequency time so that the controller may state "hold as published" with any adjustments as necessary.

Ok, so if ATC says "Callsign xxx, cleared inbound airport xxx via STAR xxx for runway xxx. When ready descend FL xxx" does that mean I don't have to enter the holding?

 

Or is the instrument approach clearance when ATC (usually after vectoring) says "Callsign xxx, turn right/left heading xxx. Cleared ILS runway xxx, report established"?

Clearance to descend via a star is not an approach clearance.

So this means when flying a STAR including a holding I should always enter that holding unless ATC has instructed me otherwise?

The chart for the Bovingdon (BNN) STAR has the note:

 

WARNING  Do not  proceed beyond BNN  without ATC clearance

So this means when flying a STAR including a holding I should always enter that holding unless ATC has instructed me otherwise?

 

An instrument approach shall not be commenced without an explicit clearance from ATC.

If a clearance for an instrument approach has not been received, the aircraft shall enter the holding pattern at the STAR end point.

The chart for the Bovingdon (BNN) STAR has the note:

 

WARNING Do not proceed beyond BNN without ATC clearance

When an arriving aircraft on a STAR is cleared to descend, the aircraft shall follow the published vertical profile of the STAR. Published level restrictions (eg. CROSS (significant point) [AT OR] ABOVE/BELOW (level)) shall be adhered to, unless such restrictions are explicitly cancelled by ATC. Published minimum levels based on terrain clearance shall always be applied.

OK, thanks for all input guys!

 

From now on I know I should always fly the STAR exactly as published including any holdings unless ATC has instructed me otherwise.

When an arriving aircraft on a STAR is cleared to descend, the aircraft shall follow the published vertical profile of the STAR. Published level restrictions (eg. CROSS (significant point) [AT OR] ABOVE/BELOW (level)) shall be adhered to, unless such restrictions are explicitly cancelled by ATC. Published minimum levels based on terrain clearance shall always be applied.

 

 

That quote isn't part of the BNN STAR chart.

Sorry it was mean't to be seperate.

 

I hope the OP has took something away from all this

 

 

Ok, so if ATC says "Callsign xxx, cleared inbound airport xxx via STAR xxx for runway xxx. When ready descend FL xxx" does that mean I don't have to enter the holding?

 

That sounds a bit foreign to me, so I'm not sure my FAA-specific stuff will help, but I'll comment anyway:

 

In the States, you get the STAR assignment as part of your departure clearance (it may be changed by the controllers while en route, but that's the exception). So, the only STAR-specific instruction you might hear is "descend via the ABCDE." Unless the chart prescribes a hold (I can't think of one that does), or the controller instructs you to enter one of the published holds, no holds are to be flown. This is pretty much the exact opposite of some of the procedures over on the other side of the Atlantic, so just file that away for any time you're over here.

 

 

 

Or is the instrument approach clearance when ATC (usually after vectoring) says "Callsign xxx, turn right/left heading xxx. Cleared ILS runway xxx, report established"?

 

At this point, you'd already be at the end of your STAR already, so you'd be past all of the STAR holds.

 

Also, in the States, you normally don't hear "report established." There are some cases when radar is sketchy for that area, or if the minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) is above the altitudes published for the approach (the controller can vector the flight around at the MVA onto the LOC, and as soon as they're established on the LOC, the controller can issue the altitude published for that location).

 

This does bring up an alternate issue, though:

Any holds published on the chart (or the procedure turns) are to be flown unless it says NoPT (or the hold is a dashed line, which means that it's part of the missed - see the VOR approach into KFRR).You can see the LOC/DME approach to KBCB has examples of a published hold (for course reversal and the missed), and the NoPT on the one IAF leg.

As you say what you describe is not the case in Europe. Here we never receive a STAR as part of the departure clearance (at least that never happened to me).

 

Unfortunately I don't recall what STAR it was yesterday when I flew into EGLL that included this hold, it might have been LAM3A.

 

Next time I think I'm gonna ask ATC about this to make sure I follow the procedure the way they expect.